Musings

The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14 ESV) In the past few days, I have read several articles that question the claims of Easter — ‘There is no evidence of the resurrection,’ the proponents write, ‘it is a fabrication, the Biblical text is not reliable…’ On the contrary, the existing evidence presents a solid argument. The apostle Paul asserts that the litmus test of Christianity is the resurrection. The more I read and analyze the evidence, the more I become convinced intellectually in addition to knowing the living Christ by faith. Testimony of Women The Gospel writers record that the first witnesses of the empty tomb were women: Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles. (Luke 24:10 ESV) In the first century, a woman’s testimony did not count; if the story had been fabricated, Luke and the o...

While half the world turns green today in celebratory euphoria without much knowledge of St. Patrick’s legacy, the day has a deeper meaning for me. But first, let us look at the man himself. Slemish Mountain, Co. Antrim, N. Ireland. Myths Debunked There are three commonly held  untruths  about St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland: 1. St. Patrick was Irish. St. Patrick was not Irish. He hailed from a rich, Romanized family in Great Britain; in the 5th Century, Irish raiders attacked his parent’s estate and brought the 16-year-old as a slave to Ireland. Legend claims he tended sheep either on a volcanic plug known as Slemish Mountain, Co. Antrim, or near Killala, Co. Mayo for the six years of his captivity. 2. He banished all snakes from Ireland. This is a myth which grew around the life and acts of St. Patrick. Snakes simply could not cross the Irish Sea after the Ice Age. The only reptile that made its way to Ireland was the common lizard. 3. He introduced Christianity to Irel...

  How do I know the Bible is true? My Bible.  Photo by author The Bible has been my go-to book for over thirty years and I never tire of reading it. Which other book would I read over and over again? This phenomenon in itself proves to me that it is no ordinary book! Not only do I read it for spiritual teaching and encouragement, but also because evidence exists for the reliability of its claims. Quick Facts The Bible is still the world’s bestseller, having sold over 5 billion copies. The full Bible has been translated into 724 languages (NT 1617 languages).¹ It was written and compiled over 1500 years by 40 authors. There are two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament (the  Tanakh ) is the Jewish Bible, containing 39 books (the Torah, historical, poetical, prophetic and wisdom writings). The New Testament has 27 books: the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and Revelation. Historical Accuracy The Old Testament The Old Testament was...